To recover the designed purposes for the Jews and the Church in God's prophetic plan.

Feb 22, 2019

God has not rejected Israel in spite of her rebellion and faithlessness.

The church has not replaced Israel.

The Christians and Jews are meant to be united - to be one.

The Christians and Jews are meant to be united even before the Lord returns.

The Jews will return to geographical Israel in unbelief. There God will lead them to finally welcome their Messiah - at which point they will say, "Baruch haba beshem Adonai (Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord).

It is false teaching to claim that a spiritual meaning of a Scripture nullifies the literal interpretation of that same text.

It is false teaching to claim that prophecy can only be interpreted in a spiritualized sense.

It is a misunderstanding to think that the "literal" interpretation actually means a "literalistic" interpretation. Example: When someone exclaims, "Are you nuts!?" he or she isn't really trying to find out if you are made out of pecans.

The devil's strategy is to discredit God's word in order to persuade man (and nations) to disbelieve God, and instead trust in themselves and their ability "to walk by the light of their own fire". (we don't mean that literalistically

It is a lack of faith to believe that God cannot or will not save Israel.

Just as You are/were not too evil or rebellious to come to salvation through Jesus/Yeshua, neither is Israel.

The wild olive branches must be careful to not exalt themselves over the natural, temporarily removed branches.

The Church needs to rethink its relationship to the Jews and to the State of Israel.

One needs to understand the spiritual reasons behind anti-Semitism in order to understand God's plan for Israel.

It is still possible to differ with regard to how one understands "tribulation" in God's plan, and yet agree that Israel remains the key to the fulfillment of prophecy.

Discerning the signs of the "end" (i.e.approaching turmoils) does not exempt the believer from Jesus'/Yeshua's command to bring the Good News to Israel or any one else.

You may be thinking, "So what? Why do you consider it so important that people - especially Christians - become aware of these principles? Why go through the trouble of devoting a lengthy website to the communication of these messages?"

Here are some reasons why this is important. The most important is reason #6, at the bottom of the page.

Reason #1: To provide an overdue study tool - FREE OF CHARGE

As far as we have discovered, this is the first online topical concordance with a focus on Israel and Jerusalem in Prophecy. We could not find a work that thoroughly covers these topics. If you know of one, please let us know.

Reason #2: To motivate others to produce something better

Which is only possible by example. If you find it lacking - let us know. Better yet - why not get involved?

Reason #3: To remind the oblivious and to wake up the indifferent

To help believers in Jesus/Yeshua understand the events in the Middle East and in the Nations from a scriptural perspective. (- see six below)

Reason #4: To convince the skeptics

To open the eyes of skeptics to the fact that fulfilled prophecy in the past provides an assurance that unfulfilled prophecy will yet be fulfilled.

Reason #5: To challenge the opposition

To invite the opponents to reconsider their argument that prophecy is irrelevant for our lives or that the Bible must be interpreted differently from what the prophets actually recorded.

Reason #6: to assert the need for a massive paradigm shift in Christian thinking

To demonstrate clearly from the Scriptures that Jews and Gentiles need a mindset shift with regard to how God wants them to relate to each other.

Consider the deficient attitudes in churches and synagogues today:

in most churches preaching is drawn from the Gospels - largely to the exclusion of the Old Testament.

In Jewish circles (messianic or non-messianic) preaching is centered on the Torah - largely to the exclusion of the prophets [even though the Haftorah portions are listed in the Parashah readings].

In the churches preaching means evangelizing non-Jews and in the best cases discipling them. When evangelical churches preach from the Old Testament and the prophets they fail to relate their messages to the Jews first - if even to the Jews at all.

Jewish Circles in the best of cases are concerned with the Halachah. Jewish circles traditionally use their haftorah portions but hardly ever preach from them.

Neither of the two groups will be able to experience that paradigm shift if they are not dealing with prophecy.

Consider the Messianic-Jewish vision in particular: to give back the God-given identity to the Messiah as well as the Jews. The Messiah is Jewish. How will the Messianic Jews succeed without an adequate understanding of prophecy? They must understand God's plan for Israel, the Church, and the nations. Otherwise, the unity for which the Messiah prayed will not be possible: "that the world may believe that the Father has sent the Son" ( John 17:23).

Consider how the world's economy is warping the nations' sense of justice in the turmoils of the Middle East conflict: each nation's economic dependence upon oil is pressuring them to side with the Palestinians to the detriment of the Jews. This means that antisemitism will spread most of all in Europe, which is dependency on Arab oil. Christians in Europe need to have a clear understanding of biblical prophecy in order to comprehend why antisemitism is increasing, and how to combat the spread of it. Unless Christians know, understand and can act in agreement with God's plan for Israel and for Jerusalem, they will be swallowed up in these pressures and will become guilty for not standing with Israel.

Here is a quote in support of this point in today's Jerusalem Post Newspaper (April 1, 2001):

Europe must beware, By Ovadia Soffer

"The major European countries have clear-cut economic interests in the Middle East. Many of them have extensive oil and gas franchises in the Arab region and in Iran. European foreign policy has, up until now, been characterized by an unmistakably pro-Arab orientation. The European media reports and show pictures on television that distort the facts to the benefit of the Palestinians. … Overt and covert threats were made during the Arab summit in Amman regarding the use of the oil weapon that would primarily affect the Europeans, who are dependent on Arab sources of oil supply.

At the Arab summit, PLO Foreign Minister Farouk Kadoumi called on the Arab oil producers to use the oil weapon against the West, as was done during the oil crisis in 1973, in order to apply pressure on Israel and make it 'give in.'"

This is what a Jewish writer - a former Ambassador to France - has to say:

"Will the Europeans permit leaders such as Libya's Muammar Gaddafi, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, Syrian President Bashar Assad, and their Iranian allies, joined recently by Arafat, to disseminate among European societies lying, distorted propaganda that exploits the tensions currently existing in every society and country?

In all Western European countries there are prominent Jewish communities. In contrast to the practice in the US, it is not usual for these communities to engage in active lobbying on behalf of Israel, even when their identification with and support for Israel is not in doubt. However, in recent years, the leaders of the Jewish communities have not hesitated to express their views and recruit support for Israel and its struggles. In light of the increase of destructive Palestinian propaganda throughout Europe, it is appropriate to recruit Jewish intellectual resources there to defend democratic values and refute the lies of Arab and Palestinian propaganda. This should include the exposure of Arafat's real motives in renewing terrorism and the cynical exploitation of his people.

Israel's challenges in Europe obligate it to make public opinion aware of the dangers to democracy posed by Arab and Palestinian terrorism, with the encouragement of dark regimes and despotic leaders."

- Jerusalem Post 04/01/01

So what are Christians to do? We can stand by idly as we have largely done as these injustices continue to increase, or we can step out of our comfort zones, and stand up for the original covenant people. "What are the consequences of choice A or B?" you may ask. Here are two good reasons:

He who blesses Israel will be blessed, and he who curses (opposes, criticizes, ridicules, despises, rejects, antagonizes, discriminates) Israel will be cursed.

- Genesis 12:3

In the end, every person's works will be tested by fire. What is good in God's (not man's) sight will endure, whereas every other work will perish. So, we should endeavor to find out what pleases Him by studying what He has said. Prophecy affects the way we live, for it tells us all we need to know about the Messiah's return. He will return in majesty to judge you and me, and Jew and Gentile, Israel and the nations.

The Church - which is primarily composed of non-Jews - is indeed the body of Christ. But the Jews are also part of the Body of Christ; however, they are temporarily hardened, and thus temporarily "dry bones". The Church - the body of Christ - is and will continue to be incomplete until our other half turns to the Lord, Adonai, and is effectively raised from the dead as decribed in Ezekiel 37. When they do turn to Him, "it will be life from the dead" as Paul himself stated. Until this happens, the whole body of Christ suffers, because our Jewish part of the body is dead.

In terms of another picture, just as Paul stated that we each care for our own individual bodies because we love ourselves, we likewise are to care for our spouses because you and him/her are supposed to be one flesh. If you don't care for your spouse, your marriage, you become guilty. But if you love him/her as yourself, then you are blessed (see Eph 5:25-33). It is the same with our relationship to the natural olive branches - the Jews and Israel.

So when we do finally reach out to our Jewish brethren, and they finally do turn to their Messiah, then the Body of the Messiah will finally be complete, and we will be the "a single new humanity" ( Eph 2:15 CJB). Should we not live and act to hasten this day, versus continuing to do what is likely to postpone it?